Creamy Baked Salmon Lemon (Print Version)

Salmon fillets baked in a smooth lemon butter sauce with cream cheese and Parmesan, rich and flavorful.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each, skin-on or skinless
02 - Salt to taste
03 - Black pepper to taste

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
08 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and black pepper. Arrange fillets in the prepared baking dish with skin side down if using skin-on.
03 - In a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add minced garlic and stir immediately to release aroma without browning.
04 - Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, softened cream cheese, and grated Parmesan until smooth and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Spoon the lemon butter sauce evenly over the top and sides of each salmon fillet.
06 - Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the sauce is bubbling and lightly golden at the edges.
07 - For a golden crust, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching carefully to avoid burning.
08 - Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving. Serve with extra lemon wedges if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The sauce tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in under five minutes—it's that moment when people ask for your secret and you realize there basically isn't one.
  • No heavy cream means you get all the richness without the guilt, and honestly, the Parmesan adds a subtle umami that makes you forget what's missing.
  • Salmon cooks so quickly that you could genuinely make this on a Tuesday without overthinking it, perfect for those nights when you want dinner to feel special but your energy is running low.
02 -
  • Salmon temperature is everything—it goes from tender and flaky to dry and stringy so quickly that you almost have to underbake it slightly rather than overbake, so start checking at 15 minutes and trust your eyes over the clock.
  • The cream cheese must be softened or it'll create little lumps in your sauce instead of that silky texture you're after, and a quick microwave zap really does solve this problem.
03 -
  • Toast your Parmesan lightly in a dry pan before grating it if you want a more complex, nutty flavor in the sauce—it's a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
  • If your cream cheese is cold and lumpy despite the microwave, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and it'll come out silky; nobody has to know you took this shortcut.
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